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jjkraw Author

Level 2

449 points

macOS wants access to your Google account

Just updated to Mojave 10.14.4. The only previous connection between any Google accounts I have and my Apple world is sharing my Google calendar with my Apple calendar (I can see on all my devices).

Now I'm getting a request in Mac OS calendar to enter the password for the Google account. "Google requires completing authentication". The pop-up opens safari and takes me to a page that says macOS wants the ability to do all of these (no pick-and-choose possible):

Read, compose, send, and permanently delete all your email from Gmail (not necessary - I don't use Apple mail on the Mac for access to my Gmail)
See, edit, download, and permanently delete your contacts (um, no. In any case, my contacts are already in iCloud)
See, edit, share, and permanently delete all the calendars you can access using Google Calendar (this is what I'm looking for, although I really just want to "see". The rest is unnecessary)
View and send chat messages (not needed)

My only choices at this point are to allow this full access or cancel (and then have to deal with being asked again).

Is there a way to get my Google calendar events to show up in my Apple calendar like it did previously and not allow access to everything else? Can I just leave it be? If the latter is true, any way of getting rid of the prompts to enter the password?

MacBook Air 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on Apr 5, 2019 7:28 AM

Top-ranking reply

Jennifer70

Level 1

10 points

Posted on Apr 15, 2019 8:52 AM

I just had the same thing happen and would really like an answer to this. The language sounds very heavy handed about what MacOS has the ability to do. Why is this necessary? Is there a work around?

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53 replies

LD150

Level 10

91,571 points

Jun 17, 2019 2:24 AM in response to cojaysea

...because MacOS is running your Mac. It would be wierd if something other than MacOS talked to your screen

MacOS is the intermediary between you, the user, and your Google account. It’s all semantics who actually “asked” you.

Google have decided they are an all-or-nothing suite.

So you don’t want your Mac to access your Google calendar? OK you did right to say no.

Bing “operating system”

jjkraw Author

Level 2

449 points

Jun 17, 2019 4:55 AM in response to jjkraw

Circling back on this (I'm the original poster)...

When Thunderbird (the program I use for mail) implemented OAuth2 for GMAIL access, it asked for the ability to futz with my GMAIL only - and not any other Google data. I said "yes" because that's exactly what I wanted.

What I object to in the MacOS implementation is its not being granular enough (i.e. they use the big hammer approach). If I want to view a Google calendar in the Calendar app, I shouldn't need to give Mac OS access to my GMAIL, contacts, and chats... or anything beyond Google calendars. Similarly, if I wanted to access a GMAIL account in Mail, I shouldn't need to provide access to calendars, etc. - just GMAIL.

That's my beef.

LD150

Level 10

91,571 points

Jun 17, 2019 7:31 AM in response to jjkraw

You’ve a good point. I’m guessing it’s because Mail (aka Internet) accounts by default access mail, calendar, contacts, notes, reminders then you untick them after signing in.

Circling back to my first point, If I still had a Google account it wouldn’t bother me how much access my own Mac had. It has a pass code that protects a lot more secrets than when Im having lunch. It’s me who has access not Apple.

Still you have a solution. Use T’bird and hope it is secure.